Abandon Michigan!

Michigan is my home. I have enjoyed living here my entire adolescent life. But now that I am approaching the end of college, I have to look towards the future. Most likely my future, as well as the futures of other Michigan residents, will not be in the mitten state.

As an advertising major at Western Michigan University, leaving Michigan after graduation is at the top of my list for future plans. I know such a statement is detestable, especially when I have loved living here. But if I want to look out for my own best interests, it looks like my opportunities will be elsewhere.

Even Bronco Jobs, Western's career site, posts more out-of-state job offers than in-state. That's because there is minimal job creation happening in Michigan right now. Not only are my parents living in fear of losing their current jobs, but they're afraid they won't be able to find future jobs either. That is a life filled with anxiety that I just don't want to lead.

It's no secret that the American automotive industry, the lifeblood of Michigan's economy, is failing dramatically. While the economic crisis is hammering state economies around the country, Michigan is dealing with the worst. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the rate of unemployment in Michigan has risen to 10.6 percent, well above the national average of 7.4. Not only are those figures appalling, but according to Realestate.com, Detroit is one of the poorest cities in the nation with a median disposable income of $30,975. That is a humiliation that can't even be overshadowed by the Detroit Lions' record.

And if that wasn't enough, the population of the once mighty Detroit has fallen below a million residents. At this rate of decline, Grand Rapids could dethrone Detroit as the major city of Michigan in a matter of years.

This isn't just a problem for Detroit though. According to Michigan.gov, over 46,000 citizens left Michigan between 2007 and 2008 with rates of emigration increasing. Also, the Detroit Free Press ran a 138-page manifest in November 2008 that listed all of the properties just in Wayne County (the county in which Detroit is located) that were forfeited due to foreclosure. Michigan residents have started to migrate to southern states like Texas where the economic crisis is not taking such a drastic toll.

So what are students and older folks looking for jobs supposed to do? Unfortunately the answer is simple: Get out now.